Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population as of 01 January 2019
| Medication review in 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Yes | Whole study population | |
| Overall count (number of people) | 286,200 | 305,526 | 591,726 |
| Age group (years) in 2019 | |||
| 65-74 | 149,168 (52.1%) | 147,918 (48.4%) | 297,086 (50.2%) |
| 75-84 | 96,114 (33.6%) | 110,534 (36.2%) | 206,648 (34.9%) |
| 85-94 | 36,970 (12.9%) | 43,127 (14.1%) | 80,097 (13.5%) |
| 95+ | 3,948 (1.4%) | 3,947 (1.3%) | 7,895 (1.3%) |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 130,550 (45.6%) | 138,847 (45.4%) | 269,397 (45.5%) |
| Female | 155,650 (54.4%) | 166,679 (54.6%) | 322,329 (54.5%) |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Asian/British Asian | 2,201 (0.8%) | 2,184 (0.7%) | 4,385 (0.7%) |
| Black/Black British | 569 (0.2%) | 484 (0.2%) | 1,053 (0.2%) |
| Mixed | 282 (0.1%) | 229 (0.1%) | 511 (0.1%) |
| Other | 1,072 (0.4%) | 1,033 (0.3%) | 2,105 (0.4%) |
| White | 143,017 (50.0%) | 140,015 (45.8%) | 283,032 (47.8%) |
| Missing | 139,059 (48.6%) | 161,581 (52.9%) | 300,640 (50.8%) |
| Townsend Score quintile | |||
| Quintile 1 (least deprived) | 42,823 (15.0%) | 44,588 (14.6%) | 87,411 (14.8%) |
| Quintile 2 | 50,671 (17.7%) | 52,117 (17.1%) | 102,788 (17.4%) |
| Quintile 3 | 80,077 (28.0%) | 87,105 (28.5%) | 167,182 (28.3%) |
| Quintile 4 | 74,446 (26.0%) | 79,073 (25.9%) | 153,519 (25.9%) |
| Quintile 5 (most deprived) | 38,183 (13.3%) | 42,643 (14.0%) | 80,826 (13.7%) |
| Practice region | |||
| Scotland | 101,940 (35.6%) | 132,131 (43.2%) | 234,071 (39.6%) |
| Wales | 74,115 (25.9%) | 94,792 (31.0%) | 168,907 (28.5%) |
| Northern Ireland | 23,214 (8.1%) | 22,205 (7.3%) | 45,419 (7.7%) |
| London | 12,984 (4.5%) | 6,523 (2.1%) | 19,507 (3.3%) |
| Rest of England | 73,947 (25.8%) | 49,875 (16.3%) | 123,822 (20.9%) |
| Number of ongoing prescriptions at baseline | |||
| 1 | 42,825 (15.0%) | 24,454 (8.0%) | 67,279 (11.4%) |
| 2-4 | 114,980 (40.2%) | 106,088 (34.7%) | 221,068 (37.4%) |
| 5-9 | 101,209 (35.4%) | 130,820 (42.8%) | 232,029 (39.2%) |
| 10-14 | 23,437 (8.2%) | 37,335 (12.2%) | 60,772 (10.3%) |
| 15-19 | 3,338 (1.2%) | 6,028 (2.0%) | 9,366 (1.6%) |
| 20+ | 411 (0.1%) | 801 (0.3%) | 1,212 (0.2%) |
| Medication review in previous year (2018) | 120,457 (42.1%) | 207,071 (67.8%) | 327,528 (55.4%) |
| Living in a care home | 3,892 (1.4%) | 7,569 (2.5%) | 11,461 (1.9%) |
| Medicines prescribed in the 6 months prior to baseline | |||
| NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) | 21,485 (7.5%) | 23,446 (7.7%) | 44,931 (7.6%) |
| Oral anticoagulants | 26,574 (9.3%) | 39,351 (12.9%) | 65,925 (11.1%) |
| Aspirin/antiplatelet medicines | 67,694 (23.7%) | 84,330 (27.6%) | 152,024 (25.7%) |
| Renin-angiotensin system drugs | 108,410 (37.9%) | 133,328 (43.6%) | 241,738 (40.9%) |
| Diuretics | 64,065 (22.4%) | 82,012 (26.8%) | 146,077 (24.7%) |
| Opioids (including combination painkillers) | 65,708 (23.0%) | 83,406 (27.3%) | 149,114 (25.2%) |
| Antidepressants | 53,880 (18.8%) | 71,215 (23.3%) | 125,095 (21.1%) |
| Antipsychotics | 4,803 (1.7%) | 6,622 (2.2%) | 11,425 (1.9%) |
| Bisphosphonates | 16,805 (5.9%) | 20,572 (6.7%) | 37,377 (6.3%) |
| Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs | 20,085 (7.0%) | 26,171 (8.6%) | 46,256 (7.8%) |
| Gabapentinoids | 12,944 (4.5%) | 19,134 (6.3%) | 32,078 (5.4%) |
| Inhaled long-acting beta-antagonists and corticosteroids | 36,131 (12.6%) | 47,782 (15.6%) | 83,913 (14.2%) |
| Lithium | 470 (0.2%) | 697 (0.2%) | 1,167 (0.2%) |
| Anticholinergic medicines | 49,935 (17.4%) | 64,667 (21.2%) | 114,602 (19.4%) |
Results are count (column percent)